Improved amalgamator for gold and silver



UNITED STATES rFicE.

@ ATlENT PERRY G. GARDINER, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

.IMPROVED AMALGAMATOR FOR GOLD AND SILVER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERRY G. GARDINER, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful machinery for separatingthe gold contained in the pulverized matter of anriferous quartz and aother ores by amalgamation with mercury; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is jectingthe finely-pulverized dust of ores, in

connection with mercury, to a powerful agitation and centrifugal actionby placing them in a revolving partially-covered dish-shaped circularvessel, which by its rotation agitates and minglesthe particles of dustand mercury together, so that the gold in the dust and mercury form anamalgam, at the same time by its peculiar form of rim or cover preventing the amalgam and the mercury and gold separately from being thrownout of the vessel, while all the lighter parts of earthy matters andmetals not amalgamated are thrown by the centrifugal force out over therim of the rotating "essel and pass oil, a stream of water being madeconstantly to pour into the "essel together with the dust during theopera tion.

A A are two upright parallel sides of a strong triangular frame boltedupon an oblong bed-plate, B. G is a cross-head of the frame, and Eanother cross-piece of the frame, the use of which will hereinafterappear.

Between the cross-pieces C E, I place the hollow, circular, flattened,dish-shaped operating-vessel D. The bottom of this vessel rises in thecenter so as to form a sharp cone, leaving a trough all around thevessel between the cone and the sides of thevessel. The vessel from thebottom or trough rises in a curve outward to the height of the top of d,and at this height it curves inward, so as to form a rim or partialcover all around the edge of the vessel D of the shape precisely of halfa circle, the interior edge pointing or dropping downward, as shown at(1. Around the outer upper edge of the vessel is a projecting inclinedflange or apron, e,whioh is of width sufficient to extend over the innerside of a surrounding vessel or trough hereinafter to be described. Uponthe under side of the vessel D, at the center, is a hub,f, which hub isbored at the center so as to receive and hold firmly an uprightdriving-shaft, g, which eX- tends nearly to the bed-plate at the bottom,and has its bearing there in a hollow pillow block or pedestal, 71,within and upon which the end of the shaft rotates,and which is fittedwith brass j ournal-boX and oil-cup. The shaft grpasses through thecross-piece E, having there also a journal-box as a bearing for holdingthe shaft and vessel above steady in their rotation. Upon the shaft 9 iskeyed thebevelpinion i, geared into bevel-wheel lc,fast on horizontaldriving-shaft Z, at the otherend of which are the fast and loose drumsat a, connected with any prime mover by belting. The shaft 9 and itsbearings form the support of the vessel D, upon which shaft it stands,and by which and its connections its rotation is effected. Around theexterior sides of the vessel O is the deep and narrow vessel or troughF, the exterior side, 1, of which is higher than the interior side, 2.The interior side rises near to the under surface of the apron 6, sothat whatever passes over 6 from D will fall into the receiving-vesselF. This vessel is supported on projecting brackets 3 3,whicl1 are boltedfast to the side frame. It may have other upright supports resting onthe bedplate, if required.

4 is an opening in the bottom of vessel D, and provided with a stopperfor discharging the vessel and cleansing it. Directly over the center ofvessel D is the hollow pipe H, having at the top a funnel. The centralaxis of this pipe must be coincident with that of vesselDandshaft g.ThepipeHpassesthrough cross-piece G and is fast to it. Upon thelowerpart of pipe H is fastened bya bush and key the stationary rake orscraper 5, the opposite end of which is curved to correspond with theinterior surface of the rim (1, and itis provided with nibs or teeth,which scrape off and clear the interior surface of d from the amalgam ormatter adhering as the vessel D rotates.

Having described the construction of my amalgamator, I now proceed todescribe the manner of operating and using it.

Asufiicient quantity of mercury being placed in vessel D'say enough tofilm the whole in terior surfacethevesselD is put in rotation, and atthe same time the pulverized ores are introduced, together with acurrent of water. through the funnel and pipe H, which falling on thecone d are thereby spread into the vessel D on all sides. The vesselDbeing rapidly rotated, the mercury is by the centrifugal force thrownup and around the interior surface on all sides of the vessel and of therim d and coats the surface, and what does not adhere falls down afterreaching the edgeof (I back into the body of vessel D. The gold in thedust comes in contact with the mercury so spread out on all sides andforms with it an amalgannwhich continually falls, as the oper ationproceeds, from the interior surface of d to the bottom of D in the formof globules or small rolls, while the other particles of dust, which arelighter, and the water, are thrown out over the edge of d, and down itsexterior surface, and over the apron 6 into the surrounding trough orvessel F, from which the water and earthy particles are discharged by aspout, G. All metals that are contained in the dust which do not have anaffinity for the mercury strong enough to become amalgamated will thusbe thrown out and pass overinto the exterior trough, F. Vhen sufficientamount of gold has been taken up and amalgamated to absorb the mercury,the rotation is stopped, and the globules or small rolls of amalgamremoved, and fresh mercury being placed in the vessel D the operation iscontinued.

Having thus described my amalgamator, and the manner of using andoperating the same, what I claim as myinvention, and for whichI desireLetters Patent, is-

1. The peculiar shape and construction of the rim or cover of the vesselD, in combination with the basin or body of said vessel, whereby, inconnection with the mercury and water,as described, the gold or otherprecious metal becomes amalgamated and falls to the bottom of thebasin,while the other parts pass ovei the sides, the basin beingarrangedand operated in the manner and for the purposes described.

2. The combining and arranging the exterior circular trough or vesssel,F, with the interiorvessel,D, and its arrangements, in the manner andfor the purposes described.

3. The combining and arranging pipe H with the central conical portionof the vessel D,whereby the dust and water entering the vessel D aredistributed equally over all parts, as described.

4. The form and arrangement of the scraper or rake 5 within the vesselD, operating in the manner and'for the purpose described.

P. G. GARDINER.

\Vitnesses:

J AS. W. HALE, GEORGE W. FOX.

